1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a low frontal area, air channeling or aerodynamic base drag reducing bicycle saddle and adjustable mounting device. As disclosed, the invention relates particularly to a bicycle mount and saddle, but the application of its open adjustable mounting air channeling portion is not limited thereto.
2. Description of Prior Art
Overcoming aerodynamic drag has been an area of special concern and interest for bicycle frame and component manufacturers, especially where speed is considered to be of great importance, as in competitive cycling. However the problem of reducing aerodynamic drag cannot be adquately addressed apart from mechanical or structural concerns. One reason for this is that the rules that govern competitive cycling have traditionally disallowed any device added to a bicycle, or any part of the bicycle, that has, as its sole function, the reduction of forward air drag. This means that any improvement in the aerodynamic efficiency of a bicycle, as far as competitive cycling is concerned, must serve a structural or mechanical purpose for the bicycle as well, or that its aerodynamic benefits are consequent with its structural features.
In attempts to improve aerodynamic efficiency of bicycle frames, frame builders who use the traditional two triangle frame design that employs a main triangle composed of three brazed, welded, or glued tubes that connect the front fork, saddle, and peddles, with rear triangle affixed thereto, that holds the rear wheel, have made minor variations in the shape and arrangement of frame parts that either reduce frontal area, or smooth air flow around frame parts. The variation in the shape of frame parts includes, for example, reshaping of the vertical frame tubes to a tear drop or oval shape to smooth air flow and reduce base drag; and variations in arrangement include such things as the use of a mono seat stay in the rear triangle above the top of the rear wheel to reduce frontal area, instead of the traditional two stay configuration, sloping the top tube to accomodate the reduction of the height or the frontal area of the head tube, and bending the top tube and/or seat tube to smooth the air flow around these parts and their joints.
Bicycle component manufactures, likewise, have tried to reduce the aerodynamic drag of their components by changing the shape and reducing the frontal area of their parts. For example, the exposed area of a traditionally round seat post would be replaced with a tear drop shape, while the adjustable part that is received into the seat tube remained round.
A traditional bicycle saddle assembly will employ a saddle with two round rods, known as rails, running underneath the length of the saddle, and a seat post with a clamp that grips these rails, and which is received into the seat tube of the frame. The clamp on the seat post usually incorporates an adjustment mechanism for the inclination of the saddle relative to the horizontal plane of the ground, and the clamp can be loosened so the saddle can be moved forward or backward on the rails for adjustment forward and aft on the horizontal plane. Vertical adjustment is achieved by loosening a fastening bolt mechanism, usually permanently affixed to the seat tube of the frame, and then raising or lowering the seat post in the seat tube until the desired height is achieved, and this adjustment is retained by tightening the fastening bolt of the seat tube.
While this system provides adequate saddle adjustment, it was designed for a bicycle frame made of round tubes and requires close fitting parts, usually made of metal, that also serve the structural purpose of retaining lateral stiffness and bearing rider load. The said parts are also relatively expensive, and heavy, and because of their structural and mechanical requirements, they have a considerable frontal area. In addition, reshaping the exposed area of the seat tube to a tear drop or airfoil shape offers only a slight improvement in overall aerodynamics of the bicycle, and little or no improvement in the aerodynamics of the rider.
The aerodynamic drag, of a body as it moves through the air is comprised of both surface drag, which is the friction of the air as it moves over the surface, and base drag, which is the void or vacuum or wake of turbulent air behind the body. It is apparent, when this principle is applied to cycling, while the aformentioned aerodynamic improvements in components and frames maintain the structural and/or mechanical requirements, they offer only slight improvements in the aerodynamic efficiency of the bicycle, and none lend themselves to accomodate an improvement of the base drag of the body of the rider and frame simultaneously.